Candy
by Beacon
Summary: This wasn't normal. First off, she should not have been caught in the first place. Second, she should not be being held by a certain Fire Nation Prince like this. Zutara halloween fic


An: Well, it's late, but here it is! My Halloween ATLA fic featuring our favorite Fire and Water bender pair. I hope you all had a great time on Tuesday, and got lots of candy! Please read and review at the end.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Halloween or ATLA, just a cat.

Candy

Katara had always had a passion for sweet things. It wasn't just like, it wasn't just love, it was a passion. And so, understandably, she was a little excited when she found out that children in the Earth Kingdom had a special holiday devoted for collecting candy. Yes candy. However, on her first attempt at collecting the sweet treats, the door was slammed in her smiling face and she was told to grow up. Toph and Aang had better luck, and Katara allowed them to go on ahead while she trudged dejectedly home.

Home was a bit better, since Sokka gave in a let Katara have a few of candy pieces he had bought for the kids that showed up at their home. But only a few, and soon Katara found her excitement in the new found holiday waning. While the kids costumes were cute (Katara laughed when she saw some of the kids had chosen to dress up as the Avatar), and their joy at receiving the candy adorable, Katara was a bit jealous that they actually got to keep and eventually eat the candy.

It was getting late, and Sokka had retired, leaving Katara alone with the candy bowl and a low fire burning in their hearth. Toph and Aang had yet to return from the adventures in Ba Sing Sei, and the candy in the bowl was looking more and more tempting. Katara, however, managed to steal herself and chose instead to stare into the fire, enjoying the sight of flaming ghouls and ghosts created momentarily by the fire before the faded into sparks. A soft knock reached her ears, and Katara dragged herself from her spot by the warm ground and up to the large wood door. Most likely it was Aang and Toph returning from their night out, or maybe a few straggling children who still wanted just one last piece of candy.

But when Katara opened the door, she found neither. Instead, a tall boy, who was obviously older than she was, was standing nervously on her step. A terrifying mask covered his face, and Katara stepped back, taken by surprise. Seeing her, the figure visibly tensed and a hand shot up to rest on the sword strapped to his back.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any candy to offer you." Katara said quickly and pulled the door shut. Her heart was beating incredibly fast and she sighed to herself. It was just a costume, she reminded herself carefully. Just a costume worn to scare innocent girls just like herself when they answered the door. The soft knocking came again and Katara was about to snap when a soft voice accompanied the knocking.

"I'm not here for candy Katara, I'm here for the Avatar." Her heart jumped and fear streaked down her spine like a cold knife. It had been a long time since she had last heard that voice, but it still caused her heart to clench in panic. Zuko. He couldn't be here, not now, when they had finally escaped him and his sister when they had made it to Ba Sing Sei.

Despite her best attempt to keep the door closed, Zuko managed to push his way in. Katara growled as she backed up against a wall and glared at the Prince. He had removed his mask and was considering her thoughtfully with his dark eyes. A part of Katara's mind processed the fact that their amber depths had deepened and softened? No, Prince Zuko would never soften he would never give up. He would always chase Aang and that was the sad and painful truth Katara would have to live with. "Where is he?" the Prince asked and took a careful step forward. He voice was even a wary, eyes calculating. "Don't make me force it out of you."

"You take one step closer to me and you'll regret it." Katara growled. There was something different from Zuko she knew. This wasn't the proud and disdainful Prince who had kidnapped her and tried to bribe her with her mother's necklace. Not the same man who had attacked her so ruthlessly in the North Pole and stolen Aang. A small smile lit Zuko's face.

"You don't have any water with you, I see." He said softly as he scanned her body. Katara realized he was right. She had left her canteen in her bedroom, on the other side of the great house. The realization sent a sickening feeling to her stomach. "As you are, I don't think you have a chance of beating me, but then again, you are always full of surprises." The conversational tone Zuko had taken on surprised Katara, and she took the chance to work up a bit of her strength.

"Why aren't you attacking me? Come on, I'm not afraid to fight you." A smile once again touched the Prince's face and Katara realized it was something she had never seen before.

"There's no point in attacking you now, the Avatar's not here."

"Of course he is, he's in the other room. Now come on and fight me." Katara challenged. If she could get Zuko to fight her now while Aang was still out, she could beat him and then Aang wouldn't have to worry.

Zuko actually laughed. "Here? No, the Avatar's not here. If he were here with you, he would be out here trying to protect you right now. Haven't you noticed, Katara? The Avatar doesn't let you fight with me. He doesn't want you to get hurt. He's in love with you." He sneered.

Katara paused, suddenly confused. Aang in love with her? No, that couldn't be right; Aang was just a little brother to her. Someone who she loved just like Sokka and protected him. Aang could never love her like that… She could never love Aang like that. It would be like being in love with Sokka. She squirmed uncomfortably.

"I guess you hadn't noticed then." Zuko said after a moment of studying her face. His tone was surprised, as if Katara's adopted little brother's love was the most obvious thing in the world. "Sorry to be the one to tell you, I guess it would be more romantic if he had told you himself, huh?" Zuko smirked and leaned against the wall across from Katara.

"No… I…umm…" Katara found she didn't know what to say. "That is, I don't love Aang that way. He's like a little brother to me, it would be wrong to love him like that." She cleared carefully. Zuko just shrugged.

"Well, the Avatar certainly loves you. Either way, he's not here, so I might as well wait." Zuko settled himself more comfortable against the wall, though he was still standing.

"Uh, well in that case…" Katara thought quickly. Maybe she could go back and wake up Sokka, or sneak out a window and find Aang and convince him not to come home. "I'm going to get some sleep. Have fun waiting for Aang, if you need me I'll be-" Katara winced and was cut off and she was stopped from leaving the room by a sharp tug on her wrist and she suddenly found herself trapped against Zuko's chest, his strong arms wrapping around her shoulders and waist. It would have been an intimate embrace if not for the chilling fear that surged through Katara as the memories of a dark night and ropes binding her to a tree resurfaced.

"You're not going anywhere. You'll stay with me until the Avatar returns," A dark voice whispered against her ear and Katara shivered. This was more like the old Zuko she knew.

But instead of tying her up and gagging her, the prince tugged her with him as he settled against the wall and then sat, holding Katara between his outstretched legs. His arms were still wrapped around her body, but they were gentle along with their firmness. They were close enough to the fire that its heat reached them in the cold room, but Katara still couldn't help but shiver. Zuko sensed her fear, and what seemed to be an attempted calming gesture, rested his cheek against the back of her head.

"You don't need to be afraid," He breathed into her hair. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'll let you go once the Avatar returns." Katara's trembling didn't stop and she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. This was it. She had failed Aang. He would come home and walk right into a trap and she would be able to do nothing.

The prince shifted uncomfortable behind her when the first tear rolled off her cheek and hit his hand. Katara didn't make a sound as she let the tears fall, only hung her head, pulling away from Zuko's cheek in the process.

Zuko winced again as more of the salty tears hit his arms and hands. This was not what he had expected. He had expected the girl to kick, to scream, to fight; he could deal with those things. Crying girls were not in his expertise. Trying a different tactic, he hesitantly cleared his throat. "You don't have to be silent. You can talk to me if you like."

"What would I have to say to you?" Katara chocked. She felt the Prince shrug behind her.

"I don't know, but I would like to hear you talk. Sometimes it gets a little lonely only with Uncle around. I'm sure you have some interesting stories…" Katara sniffed but remained silent. "Maybe a story about your brother? He seems like an interesting sibling." Zuko attempted, but still got no answer. "I could trade you story for story if you like. I have plenty about Azula, though they aren't very pleasant stories." There was a shift in his arms, and Zuko glanced down to see Katara looking up at him from over he shoulder. Her blue eyes were still watery, but the tears had stopped flowing. Mostly the eyes were angry and hurt, but Zuko could see a spark of interest there. "Of you could tell me about your parents. Your father, or your… mother?"

"My mother's dead. She died when I was young." Came the quiet answer from his arms and Zuko mentally beat his head against the wall behind him. Ok, not a good subject to discuss with his hostage.

"I'm sorry. My mother disappeared when I was little, too. I don't know if she died or not, only that she's gone. I guess that's a bit different, huh?" Zuko murmured.

"No… not really." Zuko was surprised to hear Katara whisper. "If she's gone, then it's like being dead. You can't talk to her or touch her or hug her…"

"Of have her take care of you." Zuko added. "Yeah, I know." Slowly, Katara's trembling slowed and she took a shaky breath. "It must have been hard on you to lose your mother so young." Zuko comforted carefully.

"Yeah, but I think it was worse for Sokka. He kind of had to grow up fast and fit into the role of taking care of me. Of course, our Father was still there, but he left pretty quickly after that to fight in the…" Katara stopped herself abruptly and tensed again.

"War. To fight in the war." Zuko finished for her. He found the end of her braid and gently twirled the tip between his fingers. "I'm sorry." He said softly. The girl shrugged.

"It's ok, I guess. I was lucky that Sokka wasn't old enough to go to war as well. Otherwise I would have no family left."

"Like me…" Zuko whispered before he could stop himself. The girl strained in his arms to turn and be able to see him better.

"What?"

"Err, nothing." Zuko recovered but not before he had captured Katara's interest.

"Tell me. You're keeping me trapped her, so you might as well entertain me." She growled and she scooted back so her could rest a bit more comfortable against Zuko's chest.

Zuko hesitated and then gave in. "I said, we were alike. In some ways at least… If my uncle hadn't been as old as he was when my father… banished me, I would be all alone now." Katara didn't reply, just adjusted herself against his chest again.

They both stayed silent, Zuko's fingers absently stroking her braid and Katara finally sighed.

"Turning Aang in won't return your honor," Katara whispered, almost afraid of Zuko's reaction. The prince however didn't reply, just let go of her braid, it thumped softly against her back and Katara bit her lip. "If…" Katara hesitated not sure whether or not she should continue.

"Go on," Zuko urged, his tone neutral.

"You… you don't seem like such a bad guy, well, besides chasing us and all that, but… I don't know what your father banished you for. I've thought for hours, and I haven't had any ideas about what you could have done that would require turning in the Avatar to make up for. Don't you ever think it may not be worth it? That you're simply being used by your father and sister?"

Again, the prince said nothing, just sighed. Katara let the subject drop, and chose instead to carefully make her head comfortable against Zuko's shoulder. In response, his tight grip loosened, and his arm holding her shoulders dropped to join his other hand around her waist. Katara heard the dull sound of his head hitting against the wall, and she wondered for the first time if she had said something wrong.

Finding Aang had been Zuko's dream, the ticket to his return home. And no matter how slim that hope seemed; Zuko at least had his dream. Had she been wrong, then, to question whether that dream would ever come true. Katara cringed and after a moment apologized so softly the Zuko had to strain his ears to hear her.

"No," Zuko said after a moment, his voice dull. "You're right. My father…" he trailed off, and Katara let me drop it. But after another minute of silence, Zuko spoke up again, his voice slightly husky. "Maybe I'm just never meant to have a real home."

"No, that can't be true." Katara jumped in quickly. "Everyone is destined to have a home somewhere. You'll find it eventually, it may take some time, but it's there. Home is where the heart is, right?" Zuko let out a gruff laugh from behind her.

"I lost my heart long ago." He said.

Katara took a breath. "If that were true, you wouldn't have tried to bargain with me over my necklace, you could have forced me to tell you where Aang was, or you wouldn't have let us get away all the countless times you have and… and if you had lost your heart, we wouldn't be here now. Any other Fire Soldier would have killed me. You're not as bad as you think, Zuko."

The Prince sighed behind her, but Katara felt his hands unconsciously tighten around her, and she knew he was no longer trying to hold her captive.

The faint sound of voices reached them through the open windows of the fancy house and Katara immediately recognized them for Aang's and Toph's. Behind her, Katara felt Zuko tense, and she winced. But before she could start to protest he spoke. "How long do you think you'll be staying in Ba Sing Sei?" He asked carefully.

Katara felt a smile rise to her lips. "Probably another few weeks at least."

"So a while, huh?" Zuko muttered and then stood. He helped Katara to her feet and regarded her for a few moments before he slipped on his mask. "Well, why do today, what you can put off till tomorrow, right?" His voice was muffled, but Katara thought she could hear slight amusement laced in with his words.

"Yeah," Katara agreed easily. "It's good to be lazy occasionally." The masked figure nodded and then silently slipped out the window. Katara remained still and then the door opened and Aang and Toph came inside happily.

"Hey Katara, how was your… Katara?" The brown haired girl had dashed past Aang and was out the door.

"I'll be right back, a little kid forgot their candy!" She called over her shoulder.

"Funny," Toph commented, "How the candy bowl is still here."

Katara caught up to Zuko before he had cleared the hill their house sat on. "I just wanted to say," She said as she reached out to take his gloved hand, "that you didn't have to do that and…" She hesitated, but then plunged forward. "That you'll always have a home here." She lifted his hand to gently place it above her rapidly beating chest. The mask stared back at her, snarling, but as a hand lifted it off his handsome face, Zuko was definitely smiling.

Katara carefully leaned in and pressed her lips lightly against the Prince's. The kiss was sweeter than any candy she had eaten all evening.


End file.
